Connecting device.



B. G. K. ANDERSON.

CONNECTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29, 1910.

1 ,O64,955, Patented June 17,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

g lul g ZML E. G. K. ANDERSON.

CONNECTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION IILED JULY 29, 1910.

Patented June 17, 1913,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES raTENT error ERNST G. ANDERSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOE 1'0 BENJAMIN ELECTRIC 4 MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CONNECTING DEV-ICE.

Specification of Eetters Patent.

rateiieee June raters.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNST G. K. ANDER- soN, a subject of the King of Sweden, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Connecting Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a partof this specification.

My invention pertains to two-part devices the parts of which are separably connected together, the object of my invention being to provide simple and .etlicient means for connecting the parts of the device in such manner as to permit them to be separated when desired and at the same time to prevent ac.

cidentalseparation of the parts.

Tn the patent application of Reuben B. Benjamin, filed July 18, 1910, Serial No. 572,503, there is described an electric lamp socket comprising a body and a lamp receiver separably connected with the body. My invention is particularly useful in connection with such a device and I will therefore describe an embodiment of it as a plied to a socket similar to that described n the above mentioned application of Reuben B. Benjamin. It will be obvious however that my invention can be used in connection with many other. devices than that described below.

The accompanying drawings represent a high tension series socket of the type described in the above mentioned application of Reuben B. Benjamin as'modified to include ,my improved means for connecting the separable parts together.

in these drawings: Figure l is an inverted plan of the binding-terminal-supporting por tionot the socket, or body, as it is termed throughout the following specification with the lamp receiver removed therefrom; Fig. 2

is a vertical sectionon the line 2-20f Fig.

l, the lamp receiver however being shown in place upon the body; Fig. 3 is a vertical section throu h the. body and lamp receiver, the section being taken as on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a plan of the lamp receiver;

l i 5 is a fra 'mentar section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4:; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the lamp receiver looking at the same in the direction of the arrows on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4; and Fig. 7 is a sectional view similar to F ig'. 5 but showing the parts of the lamp receiver in a different position.

The high tension series socket in connection with which T have shown my invention as used, is made in two separable portions, one of which (the body is adapted to be attached to a suitable supporting device. The bodycarries the binding terminals and the center lampengaging contact. The other portion (called the "larn,p'receiver) 'carries the threaded lamp recfelving shell, which, when the portions are connected together, is brought into electrical connection with one of the binding terminals. One of these portions carries a pair of contacts which-when connected, short circuit the lamp engaging contact, and between which may be placed a film of mica, or other insulating material, of such thickness that it can be broken down by the current when the latter can find no shunt path through the lamp. By this means t-he'socket is short-circuited in case-of the destruction of the lamp carried thereby,

andthe extinguishing oit'the other lamps.

connected in the circuit is avoided. The two 7 portions of the socket are connected together so as to be separable when desired. Bymy invention I provide an efiicient and very satisfactory means for connecting the lamp receiver to the body so that it can be readily removed when desired but is not liable to become accidentally separated therefrom.

Referring now to the drawings by reference characters, the body consists of abase 11 suitably formed tolenable it to be attached to a suitable supporting device. The base 11 is hollowed at its lower side to form a chanr ber 21 in which the various conducting parts of the socket are mounted. in a recess in the bottom of thischamber is secured, by means of screws 22, a strip 23 which carries atone end a binding terminal 24, the strip being so arranged that the binding terminal 24 is located adjacent one end of the groove 25 formed in the base 11. This'groove provides a passage way for the lead conductor which is to be connected to the binding terminal 24.

Clamped beneaththe plate 23 is an arched resilient member which forms the center contact 26 of the socket. The contact 26 extends beneath a yoke-shaped lug 27 carried by a" plate 28 and makes contact therewith except when forced backby the end of alamp. The plate 28 is clamped beneath a conduct- 'trical connection thereby ing strip 29, which is secured in place by means of screw 30. The strip 29 is provided with a binding terminal 31 disposed opposite to the binding terminal 24 and adjacent the end of a groove 32 similar to the groove 25.

As has been stated, the resilient contact 26 is so arranged that, when a lamp is not in position in the socket, it will make connection with the lower side ofthe lug 27, elecbeing established between the binding terminals 24 and 31. The result is that the socket is short-circuited when a lamp is not in position in the socket. The socket is intended to be connected in series with other sockets and, were thisprovision not made, the removal of-one lamp would extinguish all-the other lamps in the circuit.

Extending across "the bottomof the chamber 21 and connected at its center to the end of the plate 28 isacontact piece 33 the ends of which are bent up and over to form cars 34 and 35 by means of which the lamp receiver is secured to the base 11 and which serve. to establish connection between the lamp receiving shell and the binding terminal 31 through the intermediary of the plate 28 and strip 29. A. resilient tongue 36 is clamped between the strip 23 and the resilient contact 26, and is arranged to make connection with a corresponding contact on the lamp receiver for a purpose which-will be hereinafter set forth.

The lamp receiver comprises an insulating bushing 37 which is slightly constricted toward its upper end to form an annular shoulder 38. Mounted in the upper end of the bushing 37 is the lamp receiving shell 39, the shell 39 being provided with an outwardly extending'flange 40 which normally bears upon the upper edge of the bushing 37. The lower end of the shell 39 is flanged outward at 41 to form a shoulder opposed to the shoulder 38 of thebushing 37 Be tween the shoulder 38 and the flange 41 is disposed a spiral spring 42 which keeps the parts of the socket in the position shown in Fig. 5, with the flange 40 engaging with the top face of the bushing 37 The top edge of the bushing 37 is cutaway to form circumferential recesses 43 and 44 and the flange 40 is formed with notches 45 and 46 above the ends of these recesses, so that, when it is desired to assemble the body and the lampreceiver together, the lamp receiver may be moved upward into the body in such a position that the cars 34 and 35 will enter, through the notches 45 and 46, into the recesses 43 and 44. A slight turn of the lamp receiver in a clockwise direction will then cause the ears 34 and 35 to engage underneath the flange 40. For limiting the turningmovement oi the lamp receiver relatively to the body,

the flange 40 is formed with a prong 47 which extends downward noeeeea into one of the recesses, as tor instance the recess 43.

In order to prevent accidental separation of the lamp receiver from the body T provide means for locking the parts in their. connected relation, such means being releasable upon a longitudinal pull being imparted to one of the parts. To this end I extend the end 48 of the spring 42 upward through the bushing at a point adjacent the end of the notch 45, thereby normally closing the latter. The end 48 of the spring is then bent over flush with the flange 40 to form afoot 49 extending across the-notch 45, the end of the foot being bent down to engage beneath the flange 40 at the other end of the notch. While the foot 49 is shown as being a part of the end 48 of the spring, it is obvious that it may be replaced by a suitable flat plate properly secured to the end 48. p

In operation, when the lamp receiver is brought against the body with the ears 34 and 35 of the latter in proper position opposite the notches 45 and 46, the ear 34 will strike the foot 49 as indicated in dotted lines inFig. 5. Upon pressure being exerted, the foot 49 will be pushed downward, compressing the spring 42, thereby enabling the ear 34 to enter the recess 43. There is no impediment to the ear 35 entering the recess 44 through the notch 46, and upon a slight turn being imparted to the lamp receiver theears will be caused to engage beneath the flange 40. As soon as, by reason of such turning movement, the ear 34 passes oil the foot 49, the latter will spring back into place, thereby closing the recess 43 and preventing the ear 34 from accidentally coming out of the same. When it is desired to separate the lamp receiver from the body this may be done by exercising a slight pull upon the bushing 37. The efiect of this is that, the cars 34 and 35 engaging beneath the flange 40 and thereby preventing the latter from movement, the bushing will move outward relatively to the shell 39, thereby compressing the spring 42. This outward movement of the bushing 37 brings the parts of the lamp receiver into the position shown in Fig. 7 in which the foot 49 having moved downwardly relatively to the flange 40, the

recess 43 is ,opened and the lamp receiver therefor may be rotated in order to permit separation of the parts. llt will be seen, therefore, that the lamp receiver may be attached to the body by a straight thrust and a slight turn as is usual in bayonet connection. When the lamp receiver and the body have been assembled, it is impossible for accidental separation to take place. Vfhen however .it becomes desirable to disconnect the parts the lamp receiver may be rei'noved by the exercise of a slight pull and turn.

The flange 41 of the lamp receiving shell is bent upward, at a point which will be opposite the spring tongue 36 when the lamp receiver is connected to the body,to form a table 53. v Secured to the' flange 41, is a spring contact finger 54:,between which and the table 53 may be placed an insulating film consisting of a thin disk 55 of mica or the like. The film 55 is suficient to insulate the finger 54: from the table 53 when, owing to the presence of a lamp in the socket, the difference of potential between these parts is not very great. In case of the destruction of the lamp, however, the diiierence of potential between the finger 54 and the table 53 increases greatly with the result that the film 55 is punctured and theicurrent finds its Way from the finger 54 to the table 53, the socket being thereby short-eircuited and the extinguishing of the other lamps in the socket being avoided When the lamp is replaced the punctured film is replaced by a fresh one.

In use, the socket is connected in a high tension circuit in series with a number of other sockets or translating devices. When there is no lamp in the socket, current can pass through the same by way of the binding terminal 24, contact 26, plate 28, strip 29 and binding terminal 31., ,When, however, a lamp is inserted into the socket, the contact 26 is pressed inward until its end breaks contact with the lug 27 of the plate 28, the current then passing through the lamp and back to the binding terminal 31 by way of the contact piece 33, plate 28 and strip 29. In case the lamp should burn out, or be accidentally broken, the insulating film 55 will become perforated and current will then flow from the binding terminal 24 through the spring tongue 36, spring finger 54, flange 41, contact 'piece 33, plate 28 and strip 29,

back to the binding terminal 31. It will thus be seen that the binding terminals 24 and 31 will be in electrical connection regard less of whether the lamp be destroyed or no lamp be present in the socket, as connection between the binding terminals is only made through the lamp. When the lamp contained in the socket has been destroyed, and the resistance film has consequently become perforated, it is only necessary to exercise a slight pull upon, and impart a slight turning movement to, the bushing 37 whereupon ,the lamp receiver may be removed from'the body. The film is then easily accessible and may be quickly replaced by a fresh one.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: v

1. A separable device comprisin a member having a bayonet slot, a secon member having a bayonet projection adapted to enter said slot when the members are connected together and means, located in said slot in the path of said projection, forlocking -said projection against withdrawal from said slot, said locking means being releasable upon a pull being exerted-upon one of the members.

2. A separable device comprising a memher having a. bayonet projection, a second member consistin'gof two relatively movable parts havinga slot between them adapted to receive said bayonet projection, a spring interposed between the parts of said secondparts having a slot between them adapted to receive said bayonet projection, a spring interposed between the parts of said secondnamed member and arranged to hold them together, and an extension projecting from said spring and closing the end of said slot except when the parts are moved away from each other against the act-ion of the spring, said extension being provided with a foot adapted to be engaged by said bayonet projection when the members are connected together whereby said extension may be depressed to enable said'projeotion to enter said slot. i

4. An electric lamp socket consisting of a base having a bayonet projection thereon, and a lamp receiver comprising an insulating member, a lamp receiving shell mounted in said insulating member so as to be movable relatively thereto, said shell and insulating member being arranged to form a bayonet slot between them a spring interposed between said shell and said insulating member and having an extension projecting across the end of said bayonet slot and said extension having a foot adapted to be engaged by said bayonet projection when the lamp receiver is connected to said insulating base.

5. A separable device comprising a member having a projection; a second member consisting of two relatively movable parts having a slot between them adapted to receive. the projection of said first named member; said first named member and said second named member being provided with correspondin parts arranged to engage each other when the parts of said second named member are together, and thereby prevent a turning movement of one of said members relatively to the other; and a spring interposed between the parts of said second named member andarranged to hold" said loo parts together, except when a pull is exerv cised upon one of said parts.

6. A separable dev ce comprising a member having a pro ection, a second member I '7. An electric having a slot adapted to receive said projection when the members are connected together, one of said members having a longitudinally movable part located in said 'slot so as normally to engage the other member, to prevent relative movement of said members, and a spring normally holding said engagingpart in its operatii e position, for the purposes set forth.

lamp socket consisting of a base having a bayonet projection thereon, and a lamp receiver. comprising an insulating member, a lamp-receiving shell mounted in said insulating member so as'to be movable relative thereto, said shell and insulating member being arranged to form a bayowee-nee net slot'between them, a spring interposed between said shell and said insulating mem her, and means carried by said insulating member for engaging a portion of said base, except when said insulating member -is moved with respect to said lamp-receiving shell against the action of said spring, for the purposes set forth.

In witness whereof, l have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two Witnesses.

ERNST"G. K. ANDERSON.

Witnesses:

E. R. KING, CHARLES'G. Corn. 

